Department for Transport

Cycling: Road Traffic Offences

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce legislation to make causing death by dangerous cycling a criminal offence.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department for Transport is working on addressing dangerous cycling and will publish conclusions in due course.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Housing: Heating

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the capacity of infrared heating to support their aim of decarbonising homes.

Lord Callanan: The Government anticipates that heat pumps will be the principal means of decarbonising heat in buildings through electrification over the next decade and beyond. Evidence to date suggests that there may be a role for alternative electric heating technologies, such as infrared heating, but this should be limited to specific use cases, such as small flats with low heat demand.

Companies House: Maladministration

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what checkswere made by Companies House to establish the authenticity of a director or secretary of MI5ER SCR00GE SPYPRIEST THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE LTD who gave his name as “Lord Truman Hell Christ”; and whether they have taken any action against this company or individuals associated with it for filing incorrect information at Companies House.

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofpermitting the directors of Spypriest Limited to file annual accounts at Companies House on 29 October 2021 under the name of War Trumpet Limited for the accounting period ending 31 January 2021.

Lord Callanan: We announced plans to reform Companies House in September 2020. In 2021, we consulted on more detailed aspects of the reforms, and we will respond soon.The Government’s plans will deliver significant improvements to the integrity of the UK’s register of companies and assist greatly in the fight against economic crime. These reforms will include the identity verification of directors, People with Significant Control and those filing on behalf of a company, and new powers for the registrar to query and check information. It will also include the requirement that the accounts filed with the Registrar must be the most detailed set of accounts that has been prepared for the company’s members. We will bring forward legislation on these reforms when Parliamentary time allows.

Companies House: Maladministration

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what checks were made by Companies House to establish the authenticity of a director of Spypriest Limited whoregistered his name as "Lord Truman Michael Spypriest", and who listed a succession of implausible occupations in association with his registration; and whether they have taken any action against this individual for filing incorrect information.

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what checks were made by Companies House to establish the authenticity of a secretary of Spypriest Limited who gave his name as "Mr Adolf Tooth Fairy Hitler"; and whether they have taken any action against (1) this company, or (2) individuals associated with it, for filing incorrect information.

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what checks were made by Companies House to establish the authenticity of a secretary of Spypriest Limited who gave his name as "Victor Les-Appy Hugo"; and whether they have taken any action against (1) the company, or (2) individuals associated with the company, for filing incorrect information at Companies House.

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what checks were made by Companies House to establish the authenticity of a director of Spypriest Limited who gave his name as "Joseph Smith Jr" and listed a number of implausible occupations in association with the company registration; and whether they have taken any action against the company, or individuals associated with it, for incorrect filing at Companies House.

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what checks were made by Companies House to establish the authenticity of a director or secretary of the company MI5ER SCR00GE SPYPRIEST THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE LTD, who gave his name as "James Bond" and stated his occupation to be "Security Controller".

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what checks were made by Companies House to establish the authenticity of a director or secretary of MI5ER SCR00GE SPYPRIEST THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE LTD who gave his name as "Judas Superadio Iskariot"; and whether they have taken any action against this company or individuals associated with it for filing incorrect information at Companies House.

Lord Callanan: We are unable to comment on individual cases. We announced plans to reform Companies House in September 2020, and in 2021 we consulted on more detailed aspects of the reforms, and we will respond soon. The Government’s plans will deliver significant improvements to the integrity of the UK’s register of companies and assist greatly in the fight against economic crime. When parliamentary time allows, the Government intends to bring forward legislation to give the Registrar greater powers to check information before it is registered and to verify the identity of directors, People with Significant Control and those filing on behalf of a company.

Land Registry: Databases

Lord Allan of Hallam: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 29 December 2020 (HL11381), when HM Land Registry will add Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) identifiers to its public datasets of property transactions and titles in corporate ownership.

Lord Callanan: HM Land Registry remains committed to opening its data where possible and in line with the National Data Strategy. It continues to consider incorporation of Unique Property Reference Numbers in future publishable datasets to align with its already published Leasehold property data set and as part of its National Polygon Service.

Department of Health and Social Care

Schools: Nutrition

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Kamall on 24 January (HL Deb, col 5) where he stated that they are "looking at how we change diets in schools and across the public sector", how that work is being conducted; in which department it is being conducted; with what deadlines; and when the (1) recommendations, and (2) implementation, are expected.

Lord Kamall: In early 2022, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will lead on a consultation on proposed changes to public sector food procurement policy, including the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services (GBSF). The consultation will seek views on promoting local, sustainable, healthier food in the public sector, opening public sector procurement to a wider range of businesses and increasing the transparency of food supply chains. Specific dates for the recommendations of this consultation and their implementation will be announced in due course.On 15 July 2021, the nutrition standards in the GBSF were updated to reflect the latest scientific nutritional evidence. On 18 August 2021, the Government Buying Standards for food and catering services: nutrition standards: Technical guidance was published to provide catering establishments with practical advice to implement the GBSF standards. A copy of the guidance is attached. We recognise that catering establishments will need to plan menus to include products that meet the revised guidelines. There will be an implementation period of 12 months to ensure compliance, with an extension of three years for the Reducing Salt standard and the sandwich component of the Reducing Saturated Fat Standard.Government Buying Standards for food and catering  (pdf, 676.6KB)

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need for further COVID-19 boosters beyond the third vaccination; and what steps they plan to take as a result of this assessment.

Lord Kamall: On 7 January 2022 the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that the priority for the COVID-19 booster programme remains to increase coverage of the first booster dose across the adult population, particularly in older adults and those in clinical risk groups. A second booster dose was not advised at this time as there is evidence of continued high vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation due to the Omicron variant following a first booster dose.The JCVI continues to consider the latest available data and will review the booster programme, particularly in relation to the timing and value of any second booster doses for the most vulnerable.

Department for Education

Skilled Workers: Environment Protection

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Green AllianceClosing the UK's green skills gap, published on 11 January; and what plans they have to develop a national framework for green jobs which (1) is regularly updated, and (2) outlines the skills required for the transition.

Baroness Barran: ​​We welcome the Green Alliance’s report on closing the UK’s skills gap. The government is committed to supporting green skills across the country and a number of measures are in place to ensure we are supporting the labour market transition to net zero.At the recent Spending Review, we set out investment of £3.8 billion in further education and skills over the course of the parliament as a whole, to ensure people can access high-quality training and education that leads to good jobs, addresses skills gaps, boosts productivity and supports levelling up. This includes funding for programmes to support green skills crucial to the net zero transition.In November 2020, we launched the Green Jobs Taskforce, working in partnership with business, local areas, skills providers, and unions, to ensure we have the skilled workforce to deliver net zero and our Ten Point Plan. Following that, and building on the Skills for Jobs White Paper, the Net Zero Strategy was published in October 2021 and set out how the government’s skills reforms will support teachers understanding of sustainability, strengthen links between employers and providers, support workers in high carbon sectors with the transition, and help to build a pipeline of future talent.Through the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, we are supporting workers to gain the skills they need to transition to the green economy, including through targeted support for retraining. As part of this and through the National Skills Fund investment, we are delivering Skills Bootcamps, which are short, flexible courses covering digital, technical and green skills. Green Skills Bootcamps are available in areas such as housing retrofit, solar, nuclear energy and vehicle electrification.The Free Courses for Jobs offer has, since April 2021, been supporting adults who do not have a qualification at Level 3 or higher to access over 400 Level 3 courses for free. The offer currently includes qualifications linked to green sectors such as Agriculture, Building and Construction, Engineering, Environmental Conservation, Horticulture and Forestry and Science. This offer replaces loan funding with grant funding for any adult over the age of 23 looking to achieve their first level 3 qualification. In addition, we have recently announced that, from April this year, any adult in England who is earning under the National Living Wage annually (£18,525) or unemployed will also be able to access these qualifications for free, regardless of their prior qualification level.At post-16 level, we will continue to build on our apprenticeship reforms, to align the majority of post-16 technical education and training with employer-led standards by 2030. A strengthened system of employer-led standards, underpinning apprenticeships, T Levels and new higher technical qualifications will ensure employers, including in low carbon sectors, have a central role in designing and developing qualifications and training.We are also introducing Local Skills Improvement Plans, which will be developed by employer representative bodies working closely with employers, post-16 education and training providers and key local stakeholders. These Plans will articulate unmet and future skills needs and key changes needed to ensure technical skills provision is responsive to local labour market skills needs. Through the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, we are legislating to put the employer leadership of these plans on a statutory footing and ensure they consider skills needed to help deliver on our net zero target, adaptation to climate change, and other environmental goals.Going forward, a new Green Jobs Delivery Group will be the central forum through which government, industry and other key stakeholders work together to ensure that the UK has the workforce needed to deliver a green industrial revolution.The Group will include ministerial representation from the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Education, the Department for Work and Pensions, and other departments as required. It will also importantly be co-chaired by an industry representative to ensure an inclusive view of the action on green jobs needed for net zero and wider environmental goals.The Group will be active for the duration of this parliament and will aim to drive forward industry and government action across a range of topics, which might include: ensuring we have the skilled workforce to deliver net zero and wider environmental goals in line with the UK’s levelling up agenda; ensuring workers and communities in high carbon sectors are supported with the transition in the wider context of the UK’s levelling up agenda; better understanding and addressing barriers to recruitment, retention and progression in green jobs (including quality of work, pay, conditions, image, etc); ensuring green jobs are open to all; building on the work of the Green Jobs Taskforce to develop a clearer understanding of the green economy and how to define and measure it.Taken together, and alongside the wider suite of reforms to the skills system being implemented by government in partnership with industry, these measures will help to ensure more people can get the skills they need to enter and progress within green jobs.

Physical Education and Sports

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reportSchool Recovery Strategies: Year 1 findings, published on 11 January, when they plan to re-introduce sports and physical education at the daily recommended activity levels of at least 60 minutes.

Baroness Barran: The department’s COVID-19 guidance has supported schools to continue to provide physical education (PE), sport and physical activity through COVID-19 restrictions. Schools have the flexibility to decide how PE, sport and physical activity will be provided to pupils while following the measures in their system of controls.It is this government’s ambition that 30 minutes of the 60 minutes of physical activity a day recommended by the Chief Medical Officers should be done at school. This can include all forms of activity such as PE, active travel, after-school activities, play and sports. The School Sport and Activity Action Plan, which aims to make sport and physical activity an integral part of both the school day and after-school activities, enabling all children have the opportunity to take part in at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, will be updated this year. Primary schools have also continued to receive the £320 million PE and sport premium, supporting improvements in the quality of the PE, sport and physical activity which they offer.In October 2021 the government also announced nearly £30 million a year will go towards improving the teaching of PE at primary school, as well as to improve and opening up school sport facilities in England.

Vocational Education

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase offerings of (1) vocational, and (2) technical, courses throughout the school system, to help better prepare students for the working world.

Baroness Barran: The department is streamlining and improving the quality of the post-16 qualifications system at level 3 and below.We are reforming technical education to ensure that all post-16 students have access to vocational and technical options that support progression and meet employer needs. This includes the introduction of new T Levels which have been designed with employers and will increase the options for learners to take post-16. We are also reviewing all other technical qualifications at level 3 and below and introducing new higher technical qualifications which will improve the quality of the future technical landscape.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: Death

Lord Blunkett: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many individuals sentenced to Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) since 2005 died whilst (1) serving their sentence, or (2) whilst out on licence in the community; and what were the causes of death in each case.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: A total of 231 prisoners have died in custody while serving an Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence. Their causes of death are set out in the attached table. This data runs from January 2005 to December 2021. The Government does not hold collated data about the deaths of offenders on licence in the community. I regret that the data requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Every death in prison custody and the community is a tragedy that deeply affects families, staff and other prisoners. We are committed to doing all we can to prevent deaths in prison custody and of offenders under supervision.HL5611_table (docx, 41.5KB)

Solicitors: Assessments

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to close the attainment gap between white students and ethnic minority students who pass the Solicitors Qualifying Exam.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) introduced the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), as a new assessment for all individuals seeking to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales. The first sitting of the first part of the exam (SQE1) was held in November 2021, and the results were published on 20 January 2022.In light of experience from the former Legal Practice Course and the SQE pilots, the SRA has commissioned the University of Exeter to look at the possible causes of attainment gap in professional legal assessment. They will look widely at evidence from other regulated professions, from within universities as well as patterns of attainment at earlier stages of education. The SRA is expecting interim findings towards the end of this year and a final report towards the end of 2023. We will continue to engage with the SRA as it monitors performance in the assessments by individuals with certain protected characteristics and addresses any future negative trends in attainment.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Afghanistan: Humanitarian Situation

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to convene a multi-nation conference to respond (1) practically, and (2) financially, to the humanitarian issue in Afghanistan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We welcome the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan. We understand that the UN will be organising an international pledging conference in the coming months, which we fully support. It is important that donors across the world step up to this challenge, including by responding to the UN's call for additional funding.

Development Aid: HIV Infection

Baroness Barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on HIV/AIDS Jeopardising Progress: Impact of the UK Government's aid cuts on HIV/AIDS worldwide, published on 21 September 2021; and what steps they are taking to mitigate the impact of the Overseas Development Assistance target spending reduction on efforts to tackle HIV/AIDS.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The All-Party Parliamentary Group Report outlines the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global HIV/AIDS response based on surveys conducted by the Global Fund. The report highlights the support to the global HIV/AIDS through UK investments but does not attempt to attribute changes in global progress to UK funding levels. The report makes four recommendations for UK consideration, including making supplementary allocations to organisations working on the HIV response, community-led responses and research and development. The UK remains committed to addressing HIV and AIDS through our development programming. This currently includes our funding of £1.4 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, and funding for UNAIDS, Unitaid and the Robert Carr Fund. Future funding, beyond our current commitments, will be determined as part of departmental business planning in line with departmental allocations announced in last year's Spending Review and guided by the approaches set out in the Health Systems Strengthening Position Paper and Ending Preventable Deaths approach.

Islamic State: Criminal Investigation

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the governments of (1) France, and (2) Sweden, about the new joint investigation team to assist in the prosecution of former Daesh soldiers; and whether they plan to join the initiative.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We condemn in the strongest terms the atrocities committed by Daesh against civilians in Syria and Iraq and welcome efforts to bring Daesh to justice. We continue to champion, and are committed to, the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh/ISIL (UNITAD), to gather evidence of Daesh crimes in Iraq, and the work of the IIIM (International, Impartial and Independent mechanism) for their assistance on the investigation of the most serious crimes under international law committed in Syria.

Genocide

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to (1) the remarks by the Minister for Asia on 20 January (HC Deb, col 563), and (2) the judgment of the International Court of Justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro in 2007, when they last reviewed the lawfulness of their policy on genocide.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It is the long-standing policy of the British Government that any judgment as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. It should be decided after consideration of all the evidence available in the context of a credible judicial process. Whether or not a determination of genocide is made, the UK is committed to seeking an end to serious violations of international human rights law; preventing the escalation of any such violations; and alleviating the suffering of those who are affected. The UK's position is legally robust and does not prevent us from fulfilling our legal obligations under the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute.

HIV Infection: International Cooperation

Baroness Barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to accelerate progress to deliver on the UN 2021 Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK remains committed to addressing HIV and AIDS through our development programming. This currently includes our funding to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, for UNAIDS, Unitaid and the Robert Carr Fund. These UK investments help countries to implement actions under the political declaration to prevent new HIV infections and stop AIDS related deaths. This June, the UK will host the Safe To Be Me conference in London. One of the key aims will be ensuring inclusive access to healthcare for LGBT+ people. The conference will bring together governments, businesses, civil society and international parliamentarians from around the world to share lessons and agree plans for action.

Israel: Sanctions

Baroness Janke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to impose sanctions on Israel for continued breaches of international law.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The British Government has made its position on sanctions clear. While we do not hesitate to hold Israel to account where necessary, we are firmly opposed to sanctions. We believe that open and honest discussions, rather than imposing sanctions or supporting anti-Israel boycotts, best supports our efforts to help progress in the peace process and achieve a negotiated solution.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Janke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to protect Palestinians in territories occupied by Israel from damage to olive groves and crops by Israeli settlers.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We understand the particular significance of olive trees given their status as a national symbol and the sole source of income for many Palestinian farmers. We have repeatedly raised the issue of incidents of settler violence, including the destruction of olive trees, with the Israeli authorities.

Crimes against Humanity

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what team within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is responsible for identifying early warning signs of atrocity crimes; and whether they will publish the criteria they use to make such an assessment.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The team leading on atrocity prevention in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's United Nations and Multilateral Department shares the following with their geographic departments to help them formulate policy in response to atrocity risks:Reporting from the United Nations (UN). Non-sensitive reports are available on the internet;Countries at Risk of Instability (CRI);US Holocaust Memorial Museum Early Warning Project and other reports available in the public domain from Non-Governmental Organisations;Analysis and assessments shared between Member States, at the UN and international fora.The CRI process involves a quantitative and qualitative process to calculate a country's risk of instability by assessing the pressure on a country's government and the resilience of its institutions to withstand further pressures. It uses over 80 indicators including respect for human rights, respect for the law, displacement and political stability. It is an internal document for HMG use and there are no plans to publish the criteria.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Janke: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on1 April 2021 (HL14507), what plans they have to address recent reports concerning the violent eviction of a Palestinian family and the demolition of their home on 19 January; and what plans they have to provide protection for remaining families under threat.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is clear that in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and evictions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. On 19 January, Minister Cleverly urged the Government of Israel to stop these practices.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to protect (1) Palestinians in territory occupied by Israel, and (2) human rights activists, from violent attacks by Israeli settlers.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK regularly raises the issue of settler violence with the Government of Israel, most recently with Israel's Ministry of Defence on 20 January. We welcome discussion by the Israeli authorities on how to address this issue, and urge Israel to bring those responsible to justice.

Ethiopia

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, with regard to theJoint Analysis of Conflict and Stability: Guidance Note,published in June 2017, when anassessment on Ethiopia was last conducted;and what is their assessment of the situation in Ethiopia, with particular reference to themistreatment of the ethnic Tigrayan people.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: HMG undertakes regular contextual analysis of the changing situation in Ethiopia, including of the drivers of conflict and the changing political settlement. This analysis, undertaken routinely by our own staff and by a broad range of external experts informs our policy and programmatic approaches.We are deeply concerned by the growing humanitarian crisis in northern Ethiopia. The humanitarian response in Tigray is now at standstill owing to the de facto blockade of the region imposed by the Government of Ethiopia since July 2021 and also due to recent military action by Tigrinyan defence forces along the Tigray-Afar border disrupting a potential buffer zone to transfer humanitarian deliveries. The Minister for Africa raised our concerns about humanitarian access and ethnically targeted arrests with Minister Redwan in Addis Ababa on 20 January. It is vital that both sides put down their arms and come to the negotiating table. The protection of all civilians needs to be prioritised, human rights respected and those responsible for human rights abuses and violations held to account.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Pesticides: Bees

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the use of all pesticides in the UK is not detrimental to bees.

Lord Benyon: Decisions on whether to authorise the use of individual pesticides always take account of environmental risks, including the potential for harm to bees. In 2021, the Government consulted on the draft National Action Plan for the sustainable use of pesticides which sets out the ambition to minimise the risks and impacts of pesticides to human health and the environment. The draft NAP aims to increase uptake of Integrated Pest Management and sustainable crop protection. Integrated Pest Management emphasises crop health with the least possible disruption to agro-ecosystems and encourages natural pest control mechanisms, therefore playing a critical role in supporting and enhancing biodiversity, whilst improving soil heath and water quality. The final NAP is due to be published in spring 2022. We have funded research into the exposure of honeybees to pesticides, both over time and at national scale, through chemical analysis of pesticide residues found in honey samples. Using genetic techniques, such as DNA metabarcoding, this research can assess the plants foraged by exposed bees and highlight common pesticide exposure routes for this key pollinator species. We expect the results of this work to be published in the coming months.

Food Supply

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the stability of the food supply chain; and what plans they have to ensure that (1) food, and (2) other perishable items, are not blocked in warehouses due to a shortage of lorry drivers.

Lord Benyon: In December 2021, the Government published the UK Food Security Report, an analysis of statistical data on food security. This is the first in a series of reports to be published triennially. This landmark report shows we have a resilient and stable food supply-chain which adapted quickly throughout the pandemic. Perishable products across the food supply chain have continued to be delivered to meet demand.Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains.We are engaging with the food industry to collect evidence to devise appropriate solutions to alleviate supply chain bottlenecks.Some of these Government-led key measures include: the Driver and Vehicle Standard Agency's action to increase HGV tests to 3,000 per week; the Department for Transport's 16-week skills bootcamps to train new and returning drivers; and the streamlining of the HGV testing regulatory framework, increasing testing capacity by around 50,000.In addition, the Transport Secretary has relaxed driver hours regulation, allowing more flexibility in response to supply disruptions from the Omicron variant. This relaxation will last until 10 February 2022 in England, Scotland, and Wales.

Home Office

Visas: Afghanistan

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are making special provision for visas to the UK for Afghan doctors and nurses who wish to be evacuated, to help address the NHS staffing gap in the UK.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government responded swiftly to the fast-moving and challenging events in Afghanistan, including supporting the largest and fastest evacuation in recent history. We can be proud as a country we helped over 15,000 people to safety from Afghanistan in August 2021 and we continue to do all we can to enable those who are eligible to relocate to the UK through the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.The Department of Health and Social Care is also working with DWP to develop pathways to support Afghans who are already in the UK to access roles in the health and social care sector.On the issue of NHS staffing gaps, the Government has done a number of things to ensure the NHS has suitable resources. We are on schedule to deliver 50,000 more nurses by the end of this Parliament to deliver a sustainable long term workforce supply. With the National Health Service and Health Education England, we have established a programme to improve retention and support return to practice, invest in and diversify training and increase ethical and sustainable international recruitment. We have also made £2 billion made available in 2021/22 and a further £8 billion from 2022 to 2025 to increase activity, tackle backlogs in elective care and reduce waiting times for patients.In August 2020, the Government launched the Health and Care Visa which provides for fast-track entry, reduced application fees and dedicated support. Health and Care Visa applicants are also exempt from paying the Immigration Health Surcharge. These benefits also extend to Health and Care Visa applicants dependents.

Hate Crime

Lord Singh of Wimbledon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of(1) the articleby Dr Richard Norrie and Hardeep Singh 'Meet the SAGE of hate crime', published in The Critic on 13 January, and (2) the transparency and impartiality of their Independent Advisory Group on hate crime.

Lord Singh of Wimbledon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish the full details and minutes of the meetings of the Independent Advisory Group on hate crime held on (1) 17 September 2019, and (2) 17 January 2020, including the details already disclosed in response to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: In April 2020, the Home Office briefly took over full responsibility from the Ministry of Justice for the oversight of the Independent Advisory Group on hate crime.The Home Office had some concerns about the transparency and impartiality of the IAG, and planned to work with the group to resolve these issues. However, during the summer of 2021, the IAG moved under the oversight of the NPCC and is consequently no longer a Government-affiliated body. The IAG now serves as a body solely to inform and support policing requirements on hate crime.The minutes of the meetings have been made available in response to a freedom of information request. I will send a copy to the Noble Lord.

Hong Kong: Immigration

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend paragraphs (1) HK 26.2, (2) HK 26.3, (3) HK 31.1, and (4) HK 31.2, of the Appendix to the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) Immigration Rules, to allow Hong Kong citizens born on or after 1997 with British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) parents to register for the UK BN(O) Visa Scheme independently of their parents.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The BN(O) route is an unprecedented and generous offer reflecting the UK’s historic and moral commitment to the people of Hong Kong who chose to retain their ties to the UK by taking up BN(O) status. We are sympathetic to the circumstances of children born on or after 1 July 1997 with BN(O) parents and are considering what more can be done to support this cohort where they wish to build a permanent life in the UK. We will inform the House once a way forward has been established.

Slavery

Baroness Young of Hornsey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the then Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 12 January 2021 (HC Deb, col 160) that they will "introduce fines for businesses that do not comply" with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, when they plan to bring forward these changes.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The landmark transparency provisions contained in section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 made the UK the first country in the world to require businesses with a turnover of £36m or more to report annually on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains.To enhance the impact of transparency and accelerate action to prevent modern slavery, the Government committed to strengthening the reporting requirements contained in section 54 and introduce new measures including financial penalties for organisations that fail to meet their statutory obligation to publish modern slavery statements. These measures require primary legislation and will be introduced when parliamentary time allows. The Government will publish guidance to help organisations prepare for the new reporting requirements when timings of legislation is clear.

Radicalism: Islam

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Barran on 18 January (HL5056 and HL5057), what steps they take to ensurethat radical Islamism is not being promoted in mosques in the UK; whether they have any evidence that radical Islamism is being promoted in mosques;and if not, what further steps they intend to take.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Muslims make an enormous contribution to British Society and have done for centuries. Islam is a religion observed peacefully by over a billion people worldwide and we remain clear that Islamist extremism is not true Islam. Whether through Islamism or any other ideology, the Government is committed to tackling those who spread views that promote violence and hatred against individuals and communities in our society, and that radicalise others into terrorism.We assess all evidence of those that radicalise others though their support for or justification of violence and will not tolerate those who spread divisive and harmful narratives.We continue to work with law enforcement agencies and multi-agency partners to increase our understanding of new and emerging radicalising threats to society. Any violent threat is assessed and managed by the police and security services based on the threat that it is deemed to pose.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Levelling Up Fund

Lord Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the criteria for the administration of monies under the Levelling Up Funds.

Lord Greenhalgh: We have used a range of criteria and approaches to ensure all Levelling Up funds are distributed fairly and equitably around the UK. We have been transparent throughout, publishing our criteria, assessment methodology and decisions on GOV.UK. Where unsuccessful, bidders receive feedback so they can refine bids and resubmit in the next funding round.Our ambitious plans for levelling up will transform the economic geography of every corner of the UK, helping places reach their productivity potential and improving people’s lives.

Overseas Investment

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make it a criminal offence for foreign governments to channel funds in excess of a limit of £5,000 into the (1) personal, or (2) business, accounts of individual parliamentarians.

Lord Greenhalgh: There are rules in place to ensure that only those with a legitimate interest can make political donations. All MPs and members of political parties are regulated donees and can only accept donations of more than £500 made to them in connection with their political activities if it is from a permissible donor. Donations from individuals not on the UK electoral register, such as foreign donors, are not allowed.In addition, Members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords must provide information on any financial or non-financial benefit which might reasonably be thought by others to influence their actions or words as Members of Parliament.However, we know that in very rare instances, malign actors disguise their links to foreign Governments. It is, and always will be, an absolute priority to protect the UK against foreign interference. The Government has structures in place to identify foreign interference or any potential threats to democracy and, where necessary, take proportionate action to mitigate them.As set out in the Queen’s Speech, the Government is bringing forward new Counter State Threats legislation to give the intelligence agencies and law enforcement the tools they need to tackle the diversifying and evolving threats we face.

Levelling Up Fund

Lord Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money isearmarked for Levelling Up Funds for (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Government is committed to levelling up all areas of the UK. Since October 2021 the Government has allocated around £1.9 billion throughout the UK through the Levelling Up Fund, Community Renewal Fund and Community Ownership Fund. This equates to almost £1.48 billion in England, £191 million in Scotland, £169 million in Wales and £61 million in Northern Ireland. Over its lifetime, the £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund will invest at least £800 million across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Further details of round two of the Levelling Up Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be announced in due course.

Cabinet Office

10 Downing Street

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byBaroness Evans of Bowes Park on 31 January (HL Deb col 685) regarding the Sue Gray report, what steps they have taken in response to its publication; and what plans they have, if any, to remove the 34-bottle capacity wine cooler from the Downing Street offices.

Lord True: I would refer the noble Lady to the Prime Minister’s statement of 31 January 2022. It would not be appropriate to comment further while the Metropolitan Police Service’s investigation is ongoing. The Government has accepted the Second Permanent Secretary’s general findings in full. Further details will be announced in due course.

Property and Roads: Databases

Lord Allan of Hallam: To ask Her Majesty's Government what metrics they are using to monitor and evaluate progress towards achieving their goal for the adoption of Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) identifiers, following the Cabinet Office guidance Identifying property and street information, published on 4 December 2020.

Lord True: The Geospatial Commission worked with GeoPlace, the Local Government Association, the Improvement Service, and Ordnance Survey to provide access to Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs) and Unique Street Reference Numbers (USRNs) data under an Open Government Licence, as part of the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement held between the Geospatial Commission and Ordnance Survey. Following this, the Open Standards Board, convened by the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), mandated the use of UPRN for gathering and storing address data in Government systems. This was published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/open-standards-for-government/identifying-property-and-street-information. The Data Standards Authority in the CDDO also published guidance on the use of UPRN at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/access-free-address-data-using-addressbase. The Geospatial Commission is now working with its public sector partners to develop a standardised approach to benchmarking and measuring location data quality and improvement, applying a FAIR data methodology to ensure that location data, including UPRNs and USRNs, are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable. Further information will be published in early 2022.

Treasury

Economic Situation

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the strength of the UK economy.

Baroness Penn: Last year we saw a faster-than-previously-expected economic recovery, with output in November above pre-crisis levels for the first time, and, in their latest forecast, the IMF expect the UK to be the fastest growing G7 economy this year. Our Plan for Jobs is working. However, global supply chain disruptions and higher energy prices represent challenges that are driving higher inflation. These are global problems which we are working with our international partners on, and we are supporting households with the cost of living, providing support worth around £12bn this financial year and next alongside an announced £9.1bn package to help households with rising energy bills in 2022-23.

Debts

Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment the Financial Conduct Authority has made of the reasons for the high levels of personal debt in the UK; and what independent evidential basis informs that assessment.

Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment the Financial Conduct Authority has made for the levels of over-indebtedness in the UK; and what independent evidential basis informs that assessment.

Baroness Penn: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is an independent public body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry. As such, the Government is unable to comment on the FCA’s assessment of their consumer research work and the evidence base that impacts their assessment. The Government has therefore passed this enquiry on to them directly and they will respond to the noble Lord by letter.

Cryptocurrencies

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any recent assessment of the future of digital currencies; and whether they have any plans to trade digital currencies.

Baroness Penn: Certain cryptoassets, offering new ways to transact and invest, are part of a trend of rapid innovation in financial technology. However, these developments also present new challenges and risks – including risks to consumers and to financial system. The Government established a Cryptoassets Taskforce in 2018, consisting of HM Treasury, the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). HM Treasury and UK authorities have taken a series of actions to support innovation while mitigating risks to stability and market integrity. These include launching a new anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regime for cryptoassets in 2020; confirming an intention to legislate to regulate cryptoasset promotions, ensuring they are fair, clear and not misleading; and consulting on a proposal to ensure cryptoassets known as ‘stablecoins’ meet the same high standards expected of other payment methods. The Government will issue a response to this consultation shortly. The Government is carefully considering what, if any, regulation might need to follow as the cryptoasset market grows and evolves in the UK. The Government has adopted a staged and proportionate approach to cryptoassets regulation, which is sensitive to risks posed, and responsive to new developments in the market. The UK, like many countries globally, is actively exploring the potential role of central bank digital currency (CBDC): an electronic form of central bank money that could be used by households and businesses to make payments. The Government has taken several actions to signal its commitment to leading the global conversation on the opportunities and risks of a potential CBDC, including: the creation of a new Taskforce led by HM Treasury and the Bank of England to lead exploration of a CBDC, with separate forums to engage civil society and technology experts; a public commitment to issue a joint consultation on the use cases for a UK CBDC in 2022, followed by the publication of a technical specification; and, at the international level, using our G7 Presidency last year to develop and agree a set of public policy principles for CBDC, which are intended to support and inform exploration of CBDCs in the G7 and beyond.The Government and the Bank of England have not yet made a decision on whether to introduce a central bank digital currency in the UK, and will engage widely with stakeholders on the benefits, risks and practicalities of doing so.The Government has not set out any proposals to trade cryptoassets or other digital currencies.

Cryptocurrencies

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Bitcoin accounts for 0.5 per cent global electricity production; and what plans they have to prohibit crypto currency mining in the UK.

Baroness Penn: The Government has been monitoring developments within the cryptoasset industry, including rising energy usage. The Cryptoasset Taskforce, comprising HM Treasury, the Financial Conduct Authority, and the Bank of England, considers the impact of cryptoassets and assesses what, if any, regulation is required in response. The Government stands ready to respond to emerging risks or changes in the market and will continue to monitor developments in cryptoassets. The Government has taken a variety of actions to position the UK at the forefront of green finance initiatives. In November 2020, the Chancellor announced that the UK will implement a green taxonomy – a common framework for determining which activities can be defined as environmentally sustainable – which will improve understanding of the impact of firms’ activities and investments on the environment and support our transition to a sustainable economy. More details on the green taxonomy will be announced in due course. The Government has already taken action to ensure the UK is the world-leading centre for green finance including through announcing an intention to make disclosures aligned with the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) fully mandatory across the economy by 2025, making the UK the first country to do so. The Government is committed to upholding its pledge relating to the Paris Climate Agreement and have enacted a legally binding target to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Between 1990 and 2018, the UK reduced its emissions by 43% while growing the economy by 75% – the best performance in the G7 on a per person basis and will continually assess any emerging environmental threats.

Red Diesel

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest estimate of (1) the amount of red diesel used in theUK, and (2) the duty derived from red diesel.

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the amount of duty lost because of the fraudulent use of red diesel in the UK.

Baroness Penn: As set out in the Hydrocarbon Oils Bulletin published by HMRC, the taxation of 4,710 million litres of gas oil (i.e. red diesel) raised £522 million in 2020-21, and the taxation of 5,065 million litres of red diesel raised £559 million in 2019-20. The Measuring Tax Gaps 2021 report published by HMRC sets out that the oils tax gap, which includes Great Britain and Northern Ireland diesel, is estimated at 1% (£190 million) in 2019-20, of which £150 million was in duty and a further £40 million in VAT. As set out in the annex of this report, the tax gap is driven by the misuse of rebated fuel, which is subject to a lower duty rate. The Chancellor confirmed at Spring Budget 2021 that the Government will remove the entitlement to use red diesel from most sectors from April 2022. This will help to ensure fairness between the different users of diesel fuels and that the tax system incentivises the development and adoption of greener alternative technologies. The reduction in legitimate red diesel usage following these reforms coming into effect is expected to reduce the level of illegitimate use overall, as it will be harder to obtain red diesel for deliberate misuse in road vehicles due to there being less red diesel in circulation.

Foreign Companies: Money Laundering

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent estimate they have made of the number of foreign-owned companies that are involved in money laundering in the UK's financial services sector.

Baroness Penn: HM Treasury does not hold an assessment of the number of foreign-owned financial services companies involved in money laundering in the UK and is not responsible for collecting such data. However, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) does collect information on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) investigations opened into firms and individuals where entities may have breached their obligations under the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) or the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs). The FCA currently has forty-one AML investigations opened into firms and individuals, the number of foreign owned firms under investigation is eight. These investigations are regulatory, civil and criminal in nature covering a wide range of potential breaches of systems and controls covered under the MLRs and the requirements under FSMA. It is important to keep in mind, that when the FCA opens an investigation, it is fact finding in nature and does not in itself mean any misconduct has occurred. Where the FCA has evidence of ongoing breaches of AML regulations, it will take intervention action to prevent and/or contain ongoing harm. As a result of the FCA’s investigations, since 2018 the total of financial penalties issued is £970,067,419 (before settlement discounts). The FCA also secured its first criminal conviction against a body corporate for breaches of the MLRs in October 2021.

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what impact the proposed alcohol duty system will have on the trend of increasing alcohol deaths; and whether their impact assessment has modelled the potential cost savings to the NHS.

Baroness Penn: The Government intends to move to a new system that taxes all products in reference to their alcohol content for the first time. This will help to target problem drinking by taxing higher-strength products associated with alcohol-related harm a higher rate of duty. The Government is continuing to engage with interested stakeholders, including public health professionals, on these reforms. A consultation ran from 27 October 2021 to 30 January 2022, and the Government is now in the process of analysing responses. A tax information and impact note will be published following the consultation when the policy is final, or near final, in the usual way.

Actuaries

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their proposals to reform the regulation of the actuarial profession.

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with stakeholders to ensure the future governance of the proposed model for the Auditing, Reporting and Governance Authority (ARGA) takes account of the distinctness of the actuarial professional from the audit and accountancy profession.

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a separate assessment has been made of the (1) proportionality, and (2) cost, of proposed reforms to actuarial regulation, distinct from the audit profession, in the transition from the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) to the Auditing, Reporting and Governance Authority (ARGA).

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that the (1) definition, and (2) scope, of actuarial activities to be subject to proposed statutory regulation by the Auditing, Reporting and Governance Authority (ARGA) does not lead to regulatory duplication and regulatory arbitrage.

Baroness Penn: HM Government consulted publicly on its proposals to reform the regulation of the actuarial profession in chapter 11.2 of its White Paper ‘Restoring trust in audit and corporate governance’. As part of the consultation process, the Government has held discussions with a range of actuarial stakeholders.The Government is considering the responses to its consultation and will respond in due course.

Economic Situation: Scotland

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to help support the Scottish economy.

Baroness Penn: The UK government is committed to building back better and levelling up in Scotland, as it is to all parts of the UK. Our economic response to the pandemic has been UK-wide and continues to be one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. £400 billion of direct economic support has protected millions of people’s livelihoods in every part of the United Kingdom. Furlough and Self Employment Income Support schemes safeguarded, in Scotland alone, over 1 million jobs and livelihoods. The UK government continues to support economic growth across Scotland through our Plan for Growth and multi-billion-pound Plan for Jobs and increasing wages through the National Living Wage rise in April 2022. We are improving productivity by investing in infrastructure through the UK Infrastructure Bank and providing £150 million for British Business Bank investment in Scotland. Plus there is Scotland’s share of our £5 billion Project Gigabit, where Central Scotland is one of the first areas to get funding for next generation broadband. In Scotland, the UK government is also investing £1.49 billion in 12 City and Growth Deals, stimulating local economic growth and jobs. Further, £172 million will be allocated to 8 projects in round one of the Levelling Up Fund, including to the redevelopment of Inverness Castle, the renovation of the Westfield Roundabout in Falkirk, and a new marketplace in Aberdeen City Centre. In addition, the UK government is providing the Scottish Government with an additional £4.6 billion per year on average through the Barnett formula over the Spending Review period, on top of its annual baseline funding of £36.7 billion. This funding is enabling the Scottish Government to support economic recovery and growth in Scotland and to provide additional investments in areas such as health, social care, environment and education.

Remittances

Lord Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the amount of annual remittances sent abroad for the years (1) 2015, (2) 2020, and (3) 2021.

Baroness Penn: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) do not publish estimates of remittance flows as part of their Balance of Payments publications. No other estimates of Balance of Payments components are made beyond the official statistics as provided by the ONS. The World Bank estimates that remittance flows out of the UK were $10.7bn in 2015 and $9.3bn in 2020, with the estimate for 2021 yet to be released.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Social Media: Safety

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce measures in the Online Safety Bill that grant Ofcom powers to scrutinise social media companies' algorithms.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Online Safety Bill will give Ofcom a range of powers to understand how and to what extent companies are operating their algorithms in ways that comply with their duties in the Bill. Ofcom will have the power to request information from providers which could, for instance, be used to require from a provider information about its assessment of the risks associated with its algorithms or about how its algorithms operate.Ofcom will have the power to require a company to undergo, and pay for, a skilled person’s report which could be used to assess potential non-compliance, and/or to build an understanding of the risks associated with the operation of a service’s algorithms.Ofcom will also have the power to enter and inspect premises, documentation, and equipment. Where there are reasonable grounds to suspect non-compliance, Ofcom will be able to seek a warrant which would allow it to inspect and seize information and equipment. These powers could also be used in relation to the operation of companies’ algorithms.